The Story of Fast Women Beach and How It Got Its Name

On any group trip, people will have varied interests and move at different paces. Some are always ahead of the pack; some are bird watchers; some explore the flora; some are slow (or short)....

When those of us who are slow see 'ahead of the pack' hikers coming back towards us on Beach 4, we wonder why.

The tide is turning, they tell us. Those of us at the back may reach a point formerly just wet sand, soon to be covered by the returning tide, before we get to Ruby Beach. Trying to circumvent the water may mean cliff-climbing. The driver who was to pick us up at the end of the hike had suggested these people redirect us back to our starting point.

So we do what the returning walkers are doing... we turn around to go back to our starting point. And as I am making my way back, a story grows.

I think Beach 4 deserves a better name. And after our adventure outrunning the tide to get back where we started, I think Fast Women Beach is the perfect name. Don't know if anyone else will call Beach 4 "Fast Women Beach" ...but here's the story.

The Story of Fast Women Beach and How It Got Its Name*

There once was a beach with no name and all the animals called it Beach 4. One day Humans came to walk on the beach. There were Long-Legged Humans, Bird Watching Humans, Fast-moving (and very loving) Grandparent Humans, Father-and-Daughter Humans, Dare-to-Try Women, and Small Walking Women.

The Long-Legged Humans always bravely led the way, blazing the trail ahead. They walked very fast and very far, leaving the others behind. The other Humans followed in small groups, enjoying the sea and sand, the animals and plants. They saw the Starfish, smiled at the Seagulls, played with the Pelicans, waved to the Whale just off shore, and admired the Anemone.

But then the Humans began to hear rumors. - The tide is changing - The waters are coming. - The sands will soon be under the sea.

The Long-Legged Humans were far, far ahead. They waded through water, climbed tall cliffs, and came safely to dry land.

The Bird-Watching Humans turned around and began to walk back, enjoying the beach and the animals from the new direction.

The Fast-moving Grandparent Humans turned around too, and moved a little faster, walking along the beach together and admiring the world around them.

The Dare-to-Try Women also turned around. Even though they would dare to try anything, they chose to walk back to the starting point with the others.still relaxed, still enjoying the beach.

But the Small Walking Women were worried.'We are small,' they said.'We might drown,' they said.'We must hurry to return to the starting point before the waters come in.'

So two Small Walking Women began to walk fast. (One just couldn't be really fast no matter what she did. She made plans to hand her camera up to her friends and say 'goodbye' before the waters took her away. Oh well.)

The Small Walking Women left the Bird-Watching Humans behind. They went by the Dare-to-Try Women. They passed the Fast-moving Grandparent Humans. The Small Walking Women moved so fast they kicked clouds of sand up behind them with each fast step.

The Small Walking Women walked so fast that the Pelicans and Seagulls came to watch. They walked so fast that the Starfish began to talk. The Mollusks looked out of their shells. The Whale followed their path from his ocean home.

The Small Walking Women walked so fast that the animals decided to help them. The Whale, the Pelicans, the Seagulls, the Mollusks, the Anemones, and the Starfish moved in their own ways to slow the waves and hold the tide back just a bit while the Small Walking Women made their way along the beach, their fast-moving little feet a blur to the eye. The Women reached the starting point, clambered up the cliff to safety and were in time to meet the Long-Legged Humans who had been so very far ahead.

Because of the hard work of the Small Walking Women and the help of the sea creatures who admired them, all the other Humans-- Bird Watching Humans, Fast-moving Grandparent Humans, Father-and-Daughter Humans, Dare-to-Try Women, and even the woman who was prepared to hand her camera up and float away, all arrived safely on dry land.

And the animals honored Small Walking Women for their courage and speed by changing the name of the beach from Beach 4 to Fast Women Beach.

And that is how Fast Women Beach got its name.

*The pseudonyms that help make the story describe the members of our happy hiking group... maybe a little exaggeration in here but the story is true. Except for the name of the beach.